Art of decorating watch-cases



(No Model.)

. E. LEAOH. V I

ART OF DECORATING WATCH GASES.

- No. 425,808. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWVIN LEACH, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

ART OF DECORATING WATCH-CASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,808, dated April 15, 1890. I

Original application filed January 6 1888, $erial No. 259,989. Divided and this application filed June 30, 1888. Serial No, 278,637. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWIN LEAOH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art of Decorating Watch-Cases, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention consists in a novel process for doing work in imitation of and to answer the purpose of hand-engraving on the backs, caps, and centers of watch-cases, so that the same is accomplished rapidly and inexpensively, and at the same time in such a manner that the design or pattern may be either sunk in or raised on the work without warping the latter or appreciably changing its dimensions, as well as without loss of Weight. The decorating can, moreover, be done after the joints are put on the backs and caps, or, in other words, afterthe same are finished except the decorating. I thus avoid heating and repolishing the backs and caps afterthe decorating operation, and the decoration consequently retains the brilliant coloring which has heretofore been peculiar to hand-engrav- Tn carrying the invention into effect the article to be decorated or embelished is kept stationary-that is to say, non-rotary and immovable edgewise-while a die-roll, having a peripheral face conformed and proportioned to the surface to be decorated and provided with a given design or an aliquot fraction thereof in reverse, is revolved in a circle, the die-roll rotating freely at the same time-upon its own axis in contact with the stationary article, which is pressed against the die-roll. The double or compound or planetary motion of the die-roll is found to be highly effective in practice as compared with other methods of applying the die-roll which have been tried. By it the die-roll is carried bodily into contact with every partof the annular surface commonly decorated and is at the same time free to accommodate itself to the surface, so as to facilitate so joining the figures at the end of each revolution as to present the essential appearance of a continuous or endless design.

The die-roll, if accurately proportioned to the work, may be revolved upon the article in one direction continuously until the decoration is raised or sunk to the required extent; but perfect proportioning in all instances is practically i lnpossible, owing to slight changes in the die-rolls when they are hardened and minute variations in watch-case parts of a given style and size. I meet this difficulty by revolving the (lie-roll upon the article first in one direction and then in the other alternately. face the die-roll is revolved a full turn in one direction, which joins the design, then a full turn backward, and so on. The die-roll being free to accommodate itself to the surface, as aforesaid, the peripheral projections and depressions of its face follow their counterparts on the article in the reverse movements. The result is clean and sharp outlines and full figures, even if the design on the die-roll be a fraction too long or too short circumferentially, and the slight discrepancy at the joining of the figures is practically imperceptible. Moreover, in decorating watch-case backs and caps after their joints are put on, as aforesaid, the alternation of the rolling motion serves to so equalize the displacement of the particles of the metal as to prevent warping the article.

The die-rolls used in decorating the backs and caps of watch-cases are made with their peripheral faces at less than a right angle with their sides or ends, the angles varying according to the width of the decoration, and their faces are simply beveled, or beveled and concaved, as may be required, to conform each to the radial contour of the surface it is to embellish. The greatest diameter of the die-roll may be equal to the diameter of the outside circle of the decoration or a fraction of the latter, the smaller size being more generally required.

In decorating the centers of watch-cases in any kind of figure design or pattern to take the place of hand-engraving, the same double or compound or planetary motion of the dieroll is used, the article remaining stationary, the die-roll being made with its peripheral Thus in decorating an annular surface at right angles to the sides or ends thereof, and either flat or concave to conform it to the shape of the outer surface of the center.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of these drawings represents a top view of the main working parts of a machine for decorating watch-case backs and caps according to this invention, and Fig. 2 represents a face view of its face-plate.

Like letters refer to like figures.

Said machine, as shown, comprises a faceplate A, provided on its face with a guide rib B, a slide C, fitted to said rib, adjustable thereon toward and away from the center of the faceplate, which coincides with the axis of revolution, and provided with posts or lugs D D, having slots E in line with the rib, an arm or die-holder F inserted in said slots,- pivoted to the lug D by a transverse bolt G, and provided at one end with a die-roll spindle, upon which the die-roll H is free to rotate, and with a shoulder at that end of the die-roll farthest from the axis of revolution, which is its larger end, a form I, upon which the watch-case back or cap J is solidly supported and held stationary, as aforesaid, a shaft K, upon one end of which the face-plate A is carried, and a non-rotary spindle L, axially in line with said shaft,which supports said form I with the article J thereon, and provides for pressing the latter against the die-roll I'I, being mounted like the tailspindle of a lathe, so as to be adjustable lengthwise by a screw behind it.

In operating the machine a back or cap J to be decorated is placed upon the form I, and an appropriate die-roll H is applied to the die-holder F. The slide 0 is then adjusted on the guide-rib B so as to locate the die-roll with reference to the diameters of the surface to be decorated and is firmly held in position by tightening its screws M. The die-holder F is then turned on the bolt G so as to bring the peripheral face of the die-roll H into proper contactwith the article J, and is firmly fastened in this position, as by tightening said bolt G or by applying an ordinary screw-clamp to the slotted post D. The work is pressed against the die-roll H by a slight turn of the screw which adjusts the spindle L, as illustrated by the arrow 0, Fig. 1, and the die-roll is caused to revolve continuously or reciprocally, as aforesaid, around the center of the parts in both surface to be decorated, asillustrated by arrows 12 a, while it rotatescorrespondingly on itsown axis, as illustrated by arrows b a, owing to said revolving motion and its contact with the stationary work. Any desired 'design or figures may thus be rolled upon or into the article J, the properly-proportioned die-roll H being first provided with such de' sign or figures in reverse on a peripheral face of the required shape.

I do not claim herein the within-described machine. It constitutes the subject-matter of my application for patent filed January 6, 1888, Serial No. 259,989, of which my present application is a division. Neither do I limit myself herein to the use of such machine, as my said process can obviously be carried into effect by many mechanical appliances and to a greater or less extent by hand-tools.

I claim as my invention and desire to patent under the present specification 1. The within-described process of decorating a watch-case back, cap, or center in imita' tion of hand-engraving, which consists in providing the periphery of a suitable die-roll with the desired design or an aliquot fraction thereof in reverse, pressing the work against said die-roll, revolving said die-roll around the center of the surface to be decorated, and permitting said die-roll to rotate freely on its own axis while the work is kept relatively stationary, substantially as set forth.

2. In decorating watch-case backs, caps, and centers by means of die-rolls, the process of compensating for slight inaccuracies in the proportioning of the die-roll to the work,which consists in keeping the work stationary and revolving the die-roll around the center of the surface to be decorated, first in one direction and then in the other alternately, substantially as set forth.

3. In decorating watch-case backs and caps by machinery, the process, which consists in transferring the desired designs to such backs and caps from die-rolls by keeping the work stationary and revolving the die-roll around the center of the surface to be decorated, first in one direction and then in the other alternately, after their jointsare put on, whereby the decoration is caused to retain the brilliant coloring which has heretofore distinguished hand-engraving.

EDWIN LEACII. Witnesses:

S. D. MORRIS, S. S. WHITEHoUsE. 

